massa



.(No Model.)

G. H. MASSA.

' COMBINED GAME GOUNTER AND CARD BOX.

N0. 3 '75 ,558. Patented Dec. 27, 1887.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GUSTAV H. MASSA, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO JOSEPH FAVREAU, OF SAME PLACE. I

COMBINED GAME-:COUNTER AND CARD-BOX.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 375,558, dated December 2'7, 1887.

Application filed April 6, 1887.

.To all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, GUs'rAv H. hIASSA, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Combined Counters and Boxes for'Oards and other Games; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, making a part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved game-box provided with the new counting device; Fig. 2, a partial perspective of a portion of a hinged double-leaf box, to which a modification of the invention is applied, showing the same opened out; and Fig. 3, a similar view of the inner side thereof.

My invention relates to devices for keeping count of the points in games with cards, and for neatly stowing away the cards, pins, 830., employed in the game.

It consists in the construction and arrangement of a novel counting board or tablet and v its combination with a game-box, as is hereinafter more fully described, reference being bad to theaccompanying drawings, in which A represents a tablet or board made to constitute the top of a box or case, B, adapted to "receive neatly and confine properly the cards and the counting-pins when not in use.

The box or case B may be made in single form and provided with a lateral opening, 0, to be closed by a slide, D, as shown in Fig. 1, the interior of the case being subdivided by partitions Einto suitable compartments to receive the cards, pins, 850. or as an equivalent the box may be made in two equal divisions or leaves, F F, hinged together to admit of being open'ed out and laid flat, so as to bring the outer faces of its divisions into the same horizontal plane, as shown in Fig. 2, the inner side of each division or leaf being subdivided into compartments G G, (see Fig. 3,) to receive the cards, and H to receive the pins. Each card-compartment G is provided with a transverse detachable retaining-plate, I, fitting at its ends into suitable grooves, m m, in the sides of the compartment. The pin-compart- 5o ment is closed bya sliding plate, J. A spring,

K, (see dotted lines in Fig. 3,) may be fitted Serial No. 233,888. (No model.)

in the bottom of each card-receptacle to hold the cards up against the retaining-plate I, whether there be many or few.

Each table consists of three rows, N O P, of figures. The first, N, contains the nine units; the second, 0, tens, from 10 to 90, and

the third, P, hundreds, from 100 to 1000. Upon one side of each row of figures, and opposite each number in the row, pin-holes R R are drilled in the board to receive counting-pins S, and an extra series of these pinholes are drilled in a row, T, parallel with the row N of units, so as to bring a second hole in line with each unit upon the opposite side thereof. In addition to the four series of holes, in which each hole is designated by an approximate numeral, as aforesaid, four extra holes, W W W W, are provided to receive the four counting-pins S S S S required for each table when said pins are not in play.

Forasingle-top box, A, where compactness is required, four of the counting-tables, constructed each of four rows of holes and three rows, N O P, of numerals, are arranged in order upon the top of the box, as shown in Fig. 1, so that, beginning at the outer edge or margin on the left-hand side of the top ofthe box or at the left of each table and proceeding inward, there is found, first, a row, T, of ten opposite each hole except the last; third, a

parallel row of holes, ten in number, in line with the first; fourth, a row or column, 0, of tens, beginning with the number 10, opposite and in line with the number 1 of the row N of units and ending with 00, opposite the ninth unit; fifth, a parallel row of holes, ten in numher; sixth, a row or column, P, of ordinals, representing and progressing by hundreds, beginning with 100, opposite and in line with the numbers 1 and 10 of the columns N and O, and extending to 1000, opposite the last holes in the rows on either side of the column N of units, and, finally, another row of ten holes inside of the last column of ordinals.

The several columns or vertical rows of holes and figures in the table are all parallel, and the horizontal rows of alternate holes and figures are likewise parallel, and four of the tables may be formed upon the top of the cardbox, all as shown in Fig. 1.

As an equivalent modification of the device, the two rows of holes to be designated by and corresponding with the row N of nine units may be arranged,respectively,in parallel lines across the top and bottom of the table, with the figures denoting the units placed alongside of the upper row. The ordinals for the tens, from 10 to 90, and the corresponding nine holes are then arranged to extend at a right angle with said row N of units, with said ordinals extending in avertical line underthe figure 80f the row of units N, and their corresponding holes extending in a parallel line on the right thereof under the unit 9, as shown in Fig. 2. The ordinals for the hundreds, from 100 to 1000, are arranged to extend from the figure 1 at a right angle with the row of units N and parallel with the tens-row 0, their corresponding holes being pierced outside of said column of hundreds, parallel therewith and with the edge of the board, to intersect the row of holes formed across the bottom of the table, as above described. In this modification of the invention the three rows of figures N O P, with their corresponding holes, thus form three sides of aparallelograrn,whose fourth side is defined by the second extra row of unit-holes, as shown in Fig. 2.

In the use of the invention three of the four pins, S S S supplied for each counting table, are used to count and designate the points made in the game by one of the players, and the fourth pin, S, designates the number of games played. For example, one pin, S, is inserted step by step in the holes in one of the rows corresponding to the column N, to designate the units, a second pin, S, is inserted in the holes corresponding to the tens column 0, to designate the tens, and the third pin, S", in the holes corresponding to the hundreds, while the pin S is inserted in the hole in the row T which is opposite the number in the row of units corresponding with the number of games that have been played.

The pins areshownin the drawings so placed as to indicate four hundred and fiftyfive points in the sixth game, as counted on the table.

When the tables are not in use, the counting-pins are stored in one of the receptacles H within the box or case. likewise be packed awayin its compartments G G.

I claim as my invention- 1. The combination and arrangement, in a counting board or tablet, of three rows of ordinals marked on the board to designate, respectively, the units, from 1 to 0, in the first row, the tens, from 10 to 100, in the second The cards may row, and the hundreds, from 100 to 1000, in

the third row, in combination with two rows of ten holes each pierced severally in the board parallel with the second and third rows of figures, two rows of nine holes each pierced severallyin the board parallel with the row of units on each side thereof, and a series of counting-pins adapted to be inserted in said several holes, all substantially in the manner and for the purpose herein set forth.

2. The combination, with a game-box for cards, of a top plate pierced with four rows of holes, two of which correspond in number and are parallel with a row of units marked on the board, the third corresponds with and is parallel to a row of figures denoting the tens, from 10 to 90, inclusive, and the fourth corresponds with and is parallel to a row of figures denoting the hundreds, from 100 to 1000, all substantially in the manner and for the purpose herein set forth.

In testimony whereof Ihavesigned my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

G. H. MASSA.

\Vitnesses:

S. A. Sravnns, Jos. I. FAVREAU. 

